ForgetMeNot
by Wayward Faye
Summary: 5 years have passed and Kurama now owns his own business. He, like Hiei finds himself slightly bored with the everyday same routine of human life. What happens when he meets a girl that introduces some excitement into his life? Will she accept him? KxOC
1. Remembrance

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Yu Yu Hakusho nor do I own the original story line for the Anime. I do however own rights to my plot and my original characters.

**Author's Note:** Hello, everyone! So, this is the start of my Shuichi story. I also would like my readers to know that this is running in parallel to my White Balloons story staring Hiei and Kiyoko.

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><p><strong>Remembrance<strong>

The little bell rang as the door swung closed. It was a slow day at the shop and the spring rain had kept most people away. The slight rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. Kurama sighed as he looked around the shop. There wasn't much to do. He had already changed the water in the flowers and clipped the dead leaves from the plants. He had swept and mopped the showroom floor. All that was left was to restock.

Looking at the clock he decided that two hours was more than enough to bring some seeds and soil in from next door. Grabbing a towel he wiped his hands and placed it back on the counter. He headed for the door and hesitated there for a moment. _Should I lock it?_ Shaking his head he decided against it. It would just be more of a hassle if he locked it. After all, he was just running next door to grab a few things. It would be maybe two or three trips at the most.

Stepping outside there was a large gust of wind that blew the hanging plants that swung on the small awning. _I suppose I should take these in as well. It seems that there's a large storm coming._ Going back inside the shop Kurama grabbed a small step stool. The stool had once been a pure white but now was all dirty with smudges of potting soil.

Heading back outside Kurama placed the stool down on the cement sidewalk. Climbing up he reached for the hanging plants. They wiggled as he unhooked them form the support poles that allowed the awning to protrude from the building. The awnings were made of green and white cloth. Looking up at them for a few moments Kurama shrugged. He didn't mind the colors, though they weren't exactly what he wanted. They were shabby and it was time he got new ones. He had after all only cut off the part that dangled over the edge because it contained a provocative store name.

The person that owned the corner shop had actually used the space for selling 'adult entertainment'. The location was what attracted Kurama to it in the first place. The owner of the sleazy store was having a hard time staying afloat. So he had put up an apartment for rent above the bakery next door.

Kurama had seen the ad in the newspaper and thought it was a reasonable price. He admitted to himself that he had relied on the hope that they 'adult entertainment' store would go out of business and it had. When it did Kurama asked the owner if he would be interested in selling it to him for a portion of what he still owed to the bank. The owner agreed happy to be rid of the place. Now, Kurama didn't want to ask why the man's business wasn't doing so well but he man gave him the information anyway.

"It's that damned free porn on the internet!" he had exclaimed. "People don't want to pay for things they can get for free! The damned internet is going to ruin me!"

Kurama just kept silent as he helped the man carry boxes out to a moving truck he had rented. The man was on the short side and had a greasy head. As he carried the boxes to the truck Kurama was praying that he didn't drop the box to reveal the things inside.

Within a few days the previous owner was completely moved out…well sort of. Kurama had gone into the store front to clean up and in doing so he found quite a few things that he would rather not have seen.

Chuckling Kurama carried the plants inside. To this day, he was still somehow finding things that the previous owner had left behind.

He had remembered the day that his mother, stepfather, and younger stepbrother had come by to help arrange the new coolers that he had bought. They all had to be against walls so that they could have access to outlets. So, Kurama, his stepfather Kazuya Hatanaka, and his stepbrother Shuuichi Hatanaka had been pushing and pulling large tables and counters away from the wall when there was a thump and shuffling as if a stack of papers had fallen.

Hearing the noise his mother had moved in to investigate to see what had fell. Everyone had gathered around to see. There was an audible squeal of terror and embarrassment from his mother. To his dismay and discomfort it was a dirty magazine. His mother scrambled to pick up the magazine and Kazuya had grabbed his younger son and covered his eyes. Now, his step brother Shuuichi was sixteen and Kurama doubted that he has never seen a naked girl but all the same he wasn't sure if his parents were willing to accept that yet.

Looking to her eldest son, Shiori stared wide eyed at him. Kurama had put up his hands in defense, shaking his head and letting out a nervous chuckle. His mother looked back down at the cover of the magazine and started to laugh. She had known that the place had been rented as an adult entertainment store before this. She also knew that her son wouldn't keep something like this out in the open even if he did or didn't like looking at naked women every once and a while.

He placed the plants on the counter. It had been a good laugh for all of them except for Shuuichi who wasn't allowed to look. He smiled. It had been a while since he had seen his family. He decided he would call his mother once he closed the shop.

Again Kurama headed outside to go next door. The wind picked up even more and raindrops started to fall the same way they had been on and off all day. _ I should have listened to the weather this week;_ he thought has he pulled some keys out of his pocket. He fiddled with them as he walked about 5 meters to where the door to the storage and his apartment were attached to the same building as his flower shop.

It was a large amount of property for someone to own. He had saved while working at his stepfather's company for three years. After that he had moved out from his mother's house and started life on his own. He had rented the apartment and bought the shop on the corner so most of it was paid off. Trying to poke the key in the keyhole he was rushing to get inside. It figured that the more he rushed the longer it took for him to get inside the building. Finally, the key went in and he unlocked the door. Quickly he gave it a shove as the rain started to grow heavier.

Sighing he turned on the light. He looked to his right at the wall that connected the old bakery to his flower shop. "I should really put a door there," he thought as he looked at the back corner where he kept the extra potting soil and seeds. Walking around, he looked at the old bakery.

Over the last year it had accumulated so much dust from not being used. The previous owners were an adorable old couple. Every morning the old woman would give him a banana nut muffin on his way down to the flower shop. In return, he would give a red rose to her husband free of charge.

Kurama remembered the old woman telling him that she knew the rose was from him and if he had been younger she would scoop him up and would let no other woman have him. It made him laugh every time. She and the old man were so cute and after all those years of being together, Kurama could tell that they still loved each other.

Living with them for about a year he noticed the cute things that they would do with each other. Every now and then the old woman would give a peck on the cheek to her husband when there were no customers. The old man would smile and she would smile back. It was nice to live above the two. In a way their love inspired him. It made him desire a similar relationship one day.

Towards the end of the year things had changed. The banana nut muffins stopped coming and the shop was closed most of the time. They little old woman had grown ill and couldn't keep up with the business. The old man tried his best to keep the business open and keep his sick wife company. Ultimately, the two closed down the shop and the man stayed by his wife until his wife left this earth. He passed on only a few weeks later suffering from a broken heart.

It was sad how fragile the human existence was. It was scary how something as simple as loneliness could bring and end to a once vibrant person. There were days that he wanted to just leave. To go back to Demon World and be Youko Kurama once more, but the very same reason he had for wanting to leave was keeping him here.

He wanted to escape the delicate web of emotions that humans succumbed to. However, leaving wouldn't prevent him from feeling the things like sadness and loneliness. He realized that if he just left, his mother may die the same way the old man had. Just the thought of it depressed him and he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he left the woman that cared for him.

Certain emotions for humans were so much stronger than those of demons. Lust, greed, envy…the sinful emotions were all more powerful for demons. However, happiness, sadness, loneliness were so much more powerful for humans. If he were to revert back to his demon form, the emotions would be more of instinct rather than effected by the things and people that surrounded him. He knew that even Youko Kurama had grown attached to these humans and perhaps these humans had tamed him.

Shaking his head Kurama dug through some boxes to gather some seeds that he could start growing. Summer was coming so he would grow some of the flowers that grew locally. These he could put in the backyard and let them grow naturally. This way he could sell them for cheap. Grabbing five packages of azaleas he put them in his pocket. These would grow nicely in the coming summer months. Rummaging through some other boxes he settled on some orchids and some hydrangea.

He grabbed a box of some plastic green pots. He would use these to get the hydrangea bushes started. After all it was a bit late to start the hydrangea from scratch. It needed to be a bush before it would flower so he would have to use his demon powers to get the plant started.

Hurriedly he rushed out the door to bring the pots next door. Mother Nature wasn't kind to him. The wind was getting worse by the minute and the rain fell like small little pins that stung with coldness. Stumbling through the door the bell clinked and clanked against the glass. The cardboard box was soggy with the rain from outside as he made his way to the counter. Placing the box on the counter next to the dirty towel from earlier, he noticed a small frail figure.

It was a young woman. She was small and fragile looking. Looking her up and down, he noticed that in her hand she had a broken white zinnia. It was the same zinnia that he had thrown away earlier while he was tending his flowers.

Glancing out the windows at the weather and then again back at the girl he wondered why anyone would be out in this weather. "May I help you?" he asked.

The girl looked up at him. Her face had some dirt on it and so did her clothes. Her hair was plastered down around her face and the dirty clothes clung to incredibly thin form. She didn't look healthy at all.

Her face flushed a bit. "Well," she said before hesitating. She twirled the zinnia in her hand. "Um…"

She was silent.

Swallowing he urged her on. She made him slightly uncomfortable. "Yes?" He didn't want to push the girl but the weather was getting bad and he didn't want her to have to leave once it got worse.

"M-may I please buy this flower from you?" she stammered out.

Looking at the flower in her hands he questioned why she would want such a pitiful looking flower. It was missing half its petals and the stem was broken in a few different places. "Wouldn't you like a better flower?" he asked gently.

"Well, I can't afford a better flower" she said refusing to look up at him.

That's when he felt it, the pity that had been there the moment that he laid eyes on her. It swelled in the pit of his stomach and he wanted to help the girl. Her tiny hands clutched the flower.

"There is no need to purchase the flower miss. I was planning to get rid of it because of its poor shape. If you would like you may just simply take it" he said trying not to show his pity.

It didn't work. He could tell that she knew he was giving it to her out of pity. "Please sir," she said. "I wouldn't feel right just taking it from you. I think that I should pay you for it. May I do you a favor in return?"

He was dumbfounded. He had just met this girl and she was already asking to help him. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't out of good conscious allow her to pay for that flower.

An idea hit him. "Would you be so kind as to wait her while I run next door? I have to bring back some potting soil. When you see me coming back will you open the door for me? If you do that, I will consider the flower paid for." It wasn't a great plain and it wasn't a large favor but it was all he could think of at the moment.

The girl smiled. It was an odd smile. Awkward and out of place just like the girl. He smiled back. "I'll take that as a yes" he stated as he headed towards the door.

The young woman followed him as if ridding his heals. She followed him like a puppy as if she depended on his every move. It was an odd behavior but he decided not to pay it much mind.

Hurriedly he opened the door with very little effort. Wind rushed into the shop blowing around some wind chimes that he had used as decorations. Quickly, he ran next door as he hunched his shoulders to slightly protect him from the harsh elements. Rain pounded down on the roof as if a small child had spilt and entire box of marbles on the floor.

Sighing, he again made his way to the back corner of the former bakery. He tried to be as quick as he could. Looking at his soil inventory, it would be soon that he would have to order some more. Quietly he stacked three 11kg bags on a table. He then hoisted them up onto one of his shoulders. It wasn't heavy so he didn't need any help from Youko on this.

After shutting off the light, he reached around the back of the door locking it manually. He gave the knob a giggle to make sure that it had locked and pulled the door closed behind him as he stepped out into the unpredictability of spring rain.

Jogging slightly, he splashed in a few puddles as he made his way back to the shop. As if on cue the door swung open and the young woman held it open for him. He was thankful for it. He walked over to the counter and placed the bags down with a thud.

He was soaked. Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand he let out a deep sigh. He turned around and noticed the girl staring at one of the wind chimes. It was a large wind chime made of long bamboo. He didn't know why but he decided to give it to her.

Walking over he reached up in front of her and took down the wind chime. The girl blushed like mad and looked down and away at the ground. He just smiled down at her and walked back to the counter. The girl studied him as she reached for something under the counter. He brought up a large off white piece of paper. He spread it on the counter and placed the wind chimes in it. Carefully, he wrapped the chimes up and then taped the paper shut. Finishing up, he then placed the bundle into a plastic bag.

Coming around the counter, he walked back over to the pale blue eyed girl. Outstretching his hand he offered the bag to her.

Smiling he spoke, "This is a thank you. You braved the weather to come to my shop and you did me a favor. I think that makes each of us even don't you?"

The girl just opened her mouth not knowing what to say. Her face was flushed with her blushing. Gingerly she took the bag from him. "T-thank you," was all she managed to say.

Chuckling Kurama smiled. "You're very welcome. Now before you go I must ask you your name."

"My name is Kiyoko," the girl said quietly.

He could tell that she was embarrassed. So he tried his best not to embarrass her any farther. "Well Kiyoko, it's very nice to meet you. I think you best be going though. The weather doesn't seem like it will be getting any better soon."

The girl nodded as she reached into her ripped pocket. She held out her tiny hand out to him. Not sure what she wanted from him he held out his hand palm up. Opening her hand she released 75 yen. _She really didn't have much money._ Smiling, he reluctantly took the money. He knew; judging by her appearance; that the girl really didn't have much money at all. 75 yen must be a lot for her.

She then walked over to the door before turning back to him. "Thank you," she said smiling her odd but beautiful smile. There was something about this girl that he couldn't put his finger on.

The bells around the door chimed wildly as the door flung open as the small woman pushed it open. He watched her as she slightly struggled to push the door back closed. Her tiny fragile looking body hurried away as her chestnut colored hair whipped around her face.

Now that the young woman was out of sight Kurama looked at the clock. It was 19:15. He would be closing shop in about 45 minutes. "I suppose I should start on the hydrangea," he said sighing. Picking up the box of plastic pots he carried them and a bag of soil to a small room in the back.

All the walls were white and the tables were plain silver. The good things about these tables were that they didn't stain with the potting soil. Spreading out about fifteen pots he filled them with potting soil. He looked around the table top he searched for the packs of seeds. _That's right,_ he thought. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the packs of azaleas. He pondered for a moment trying to remember where he put the other flower seeds. _ They're in the other room…_ He walked back into the other room and looked around for the packets.

It seemed that he had misplaced them. "Now, where could they be?" he asked himself. Walking back into the other room he leaned against the table in front of the pots. Putting most of his weight on his hands the table creaked a bit. Then it hit him. Leaning over the box of green plastic pots, he shuffled them around. The packs of seeds had fallen to the bottom of the box.

Reaching in, he pulled the packets out of the box. There were twenty packs of hydrangea seeds. He would start by growing the fifteen pots that he had out. If need be he would just grow some more when the time came. Grabbing a pair of scissors that he kept in a tin can along with some pencils and pens, Kurama opened the packets of seeds. The seeds inside the packs were tiny brown specks, which were not much more then a small amount of powder that gathered in the corner.

Pulling a pot close to him, he inserted his pinky into the soil creating a small crater. It was an intimate process he shared with his plants. He would give them life and he preferred to use his bare hands rather than tools that modern florists use to keep their hands from getting dirty. Into the small crater he poured the contents of one of the packs. Gently, he dusted the dirt over the hole covering the seeds. Then bringing his index finger to where the soil met the side of the pot, he inserted it. Calmly, he took a deep breath and exhaled as a surge of spirit energy traveled down his arm, through his finger and into the soil.

The soil on top began to break and crack as a small sprout emerged from the surface. As if a time-lap video was filming the life of the sprout it gradually started to grow. Kurama poured more energy into the little pot and the plant grew and grew. Eventually, he decided that it was a good size to stop aiding it with his powers. He would do the same to the other fourteen plants. After they had gotten to all about the same size he would just allow them to grow naturally from there.

Once he was done, he grabbed a towel and walked over to the sink that was in the back corner of the room. Turning the faucet he let the water turn warm before he put his hands under it. Rubbing them together he got as much dirt off as he could before he touched the soap bar. Grabbing the bar he wiggled it between his hands. Placing it back to the corner of the sink he continued to rub his hands clean.

As he turned off the faucet the wind howled warning people not to go outside. "That's one bad storm," he commented to himself draping the towel over the edge of the sink.

He walked out of the room and all of a sudden everything went black. There was a thud and a whispered swear under his breath. The power had gone out and he had stubbed his toe on the corner of the doorway.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself he exhaled. _I guess it will be an early night._ He walked over to the register and lifted the draw part of it. Since there was no electricity, the draw wouldn't open so he had to do it manually. On the bottom of the draw there was a tiny hole that contained a switch to open the register. Grabbing a pencil he stuck it in the hole and pressed a small button. The draw flew open.

Placing the register draw carefully back down flat, he began to count his draw. He didn't make much today. In a grand total he made a measly 7,500 yen. Glancing up out the window, he could tell that the storm would not be going away anytime soon. From the looks of it he wouldn't be opening up shop tomorrow anyway if he didn't have any power.

Shoving the money in his pocket he headed for the door and stopped. He switched the light switch into the off position and stared out into the storm. He really didn't want to go back out there. Then glancing to the right he looked at the wall that connected his shop to the bakery. Again he thought; _I really need a door there._

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So, that's it for chapter one. I hope you all liked it and I hope that you'll rate and message me on what you think. Also, I think that the OC for Kurama isn't going to be revealed for some time yet (maybe in a couple of chapters). I still have some more background events that I want to go through that I hope you'll enjoy. So please tell me what you think!


	2. Of Orange Mock and Yellow Carnations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or the characters and plot there in. I do however own the plot of this story and my OCs.

**Author's Note: **Okay everyone, I know this is a long chapter so please don't be mad! In this chapter we finally meet the OC that I am pairing Kurama with. Yay! Anyway, I want you all to know that (and I know I'm going to sound like a lame English teacher), the flowers that I use in this story and in "White Balloons" are important to their meanings. So, to help you, at the end of the chapter I will list the flowers that I use in this chapter and their meanings.

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><p><strong>Of Orange Mock and Yellow Carnations<strong>

The phone rang five times and then went to voice mail. Sighing, Kurama hung up the phone. It had been two days since the typhoon had ripped though Tokyo and he was still without power. The constant sound of sirens from fire trucks and ambulances were heard almost every few hours. The shrill sounds were followed by complete and utter silence which was only disturbed by a calm spring wind that rustled the tops of the few trees that were still left standing. It wasn't the worst storm that Japan had seen but it was certainly the worst they had seen in the last ten years.

Walking away from the egg shell colored wall that the phone hung from he went to his small round kitchen table. Heavily, he sat himself down on the light brown wooden chair. He hated to admit it, but he was becoming very impatient waiting for the power to come back on. He had already read four books. Looking over at his bookshelves his shoulders dropped. He didn't feel like reading. He wanted to talk to someone. Just wanted to hear the sound of something other than his own breathing and the occasional blaring of alarms from emergency vehicles.

Again, he got up and dialed the phone. This time he called his mother. It wasn't who he had originally wanted to call but it would have to do to keep him from his boredom. The phone only had to ring once before he heard the voice of his mother.

"Hello?" she said in her soft voice.

"Hello mother." He breathed into the phone. "I'm just calling to see if you've regained power to your house." With his index finger he twirled the cord of the phone not really paying attention to the conversation. There was something else on his mind.

"Oh! Well yes we did dear. We actually got it back really early this morning. You're stepbrother is already playing his video games and your stepfather is watching the game."

He chuckled, "Well that sounds wonderful."

He heard her laugh through the receiver. "Not so much for me I'm afraid. I much enjoyed the short time I had without one of them yelling at a television screen. I suppose it's for the best though. Now they aren't bothering me over every little thing."

Again he chuckled. He pictured Shuuichi complaining that his Gameboy had run out of battery life and his stepfather Kazuya arguing with him about making sure they would have lasted through the storm.

"How about you Shuichi? Have you gotten your power back yet?" his mother asked.

"No not yet mother. I plan to call the electric company to see when I should be getting it back. I expect it won't be long now." He sighed. He hoped to get it back soon anyway. He would like to open shop so that he could resume business.

"Have you eaten honey? I mean you're not going hungry without being able to use the stove right? And you still have food that's not spoiled since your fridge isn't working? And you have running wa—"

He laughed at her concern. In a way he really appreciated that someone cared so much for him. It really did touch him that someone cared for his wellbeing, mother or not.

"Not to worry mother. I have enough nonperishable food. I have a gas stove so the pilot lights work if I use a lighter which allows me to cook. Don't worry about me mother. I'll be fine."

The truth was, he did want her to worry. Not in the sense that she go mad and obsessive but worry that he was still okay, still around and breathing. It had been so long since someone showed any type of concern for him. Even though he would visit with Yusuke and Keiko often, they never really asked if he was okay. He guessed they just assumed that because he is who he is, that he would be okay.

"I can't help it….you're still my little boy."

He sighed deeply. "Mother…" He didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell her that he was an adult now but if thinking of him as her little boy, even now, would make her happy, who was he to take that from her? He loved his mother deeply and wanted her to forever be happy.

He stopped in his thoughts as the sound of an audible sob sounded from the other side of the phone. "Mother… please don't cry. I'm sorry."

She sniffled. "I know…I know. It's just that…well…I don't have any more little babies. You're all grown-up and don't need me anymore…" Again she sobbed.

Closing his eyes he tilted his head back so that he faced the ceiling. He opened his eyes and shook his head to himself. He had no idea what to do when his mother cried. He hated it when she did. His head was swimming with thoughts. Finally, he said to her. "Mother that's not true. I do need you. I need you to be there Sunday night. I would like to come for dinner if I'm not intruding."

"Oh Shuichi you're not intruding at all! I would love to have you over for dinner and to chat a bit."

He could tell that he had made her happy. He smiled. "Well then Sunday it is mother. I have to get off now. I plan to meet up with Yusuke and Keiko in about an hour."

"Okay dear. Have fun and be safe. I love you."

"I love you too mother."

He hung up the phone. For a few moments he stood there just staring at it. Secretly, he hoped that it would ring right then. Hoped that she would call him. The phone never rang.

Again he sat down at his kitchen table and pulled the old radio towards him. He turned it on and found a static signal. Carefully, he turned the dial to a channel that was reporting the news. He listened closely as the woman on the broadcast listed the areas of Tokyo still without power.

He sat back in his chair and crossed his legs. The sound of the radio faded away as he resorted to his thoughts. The thoughts brought him back about two weeks ago…

"Well that was fun Shuichi! Thanks for taking me to do some shopping." The girl with light brown hair and brown eyes said looking up at him.

He smiled. "It was my pleasure." He held out the bags for her to take.

She gladly took the bags and then planted a kiss on his cheek. Before turning around and heading into her house. Before she closed the door she turned to him and smiled. "I'll talk to you tomorrow okay?"

Smiling he nodded back at her. "That would be lovely."

Quickly, she closed the door. As she did so, he noticed for a brief second that her expression had changed. As he walked home, he couldn't help but think of the expression. Was she happy that the day had finally ended and he dropped her off at home?

He had remembered thinking that it had been many years since he had seen her. She had stumbled into his store about four months ago. She hadn't changed much. Her hair was a bit longer now than he had remembered, and she filled out a bit more with her maturity. They had made small talk. She had moved back to Tokyo after she had finished schooling. On a whim he asked to catch up over a cup of coffee one night. She agreed.

The next day he had met her at a small café.

"So, Maya what brings you back to Tokyo?"

She smiled. "Well Shuichi, to be honest, I wanted to try to find someone to settle down with." She had blushed.

After all this time she still had a crush on him. In a way he had been flattered by the gesture of her blush. To be honest, he had been thinking of trying to start a relationship with someone. Things had been calm since everyone had returned to the human world. All except Hiei that is.

So, he figured why not. Things change, and after all why couldn't his feelings towards his old girlfriend change? It was true that before when they had dated he had no desire to be with her but now he was willing to give it a shot. He had grown up some and he thought it was about time that he had started trying to be happy like Yusuke and Keiko. He had never had the urge to seek out companionship from the opposite gender, or even the same gender, but now he was looking to change that.

He liked the idea of having someone to care for. His mother was married now and had his stepfather to take care of her. Koenma didn't even really need him with things as calm as they were. He liked the idea of simply being needed by someone. He liked the idea of having late night conversations with someone that wouldn't mind talking to him that late; the idea of waking up next to someone. He wouldn't even mind sharing intimate moments with someone, not now of course but eventually.

Over the next week he and Maya had started dating again. They did everything a typical couple would do. Go on a date to the movies, or out to dinner. They even went to the spring festival together. Everything seemed to be going really well. Every time he would go to see her he would bring some flowers to her and she would thank him for them with a kiss on the cheek.

They shared touches, glances, and kisses through the course of their relationship, but now things just seemed to stop.

He had called her three days ago. He couldn't get in contact to her. First he called her home phone, and then he tried to reach her on her cell phone. She never answered. Eventually, he got through to her around 21:30 (9:30pm). She seemed like she was flustered and bothered by his phone call. She wanted to hurry the conversation along. In the end, she just kept to simple one word answers and was curt with him.

He wasn't stupid. He knew something was wrong. As to what was wrong he had no idea. He had been trying to contact her for the past two days to see if she made out okay with the storm. She just refused to answer his phone calls.

It hurt him a little to know that his girlfriend had purposely been avoiding him. He had no idea what he had done to make her do something like this. He thought that their relationship was in a good place. They would see each other often and spend time together. He knew that maybe he should have moved their relationship to a little bit of a higher level but he didn't have a desire to. He didn't really want to have sex with her. He wasn't interested in it for the time being and couldn't even bring himself to fantasize about it. Yes he had thought occurred to him a few times but the urge was never really there to push him to even want to.

Again he got up and tried to dial Maya's number again. Five rings and still no answer. This time he left a message.

"Maya, it's me Shuichi. I'm just checking in again to see if you were okay…..Please give me a call if you would? I'll try calling again tomorrow. Goodbye."

He hung the phone up with a bit more force than he needed. He was getting frustrated. Looking at the clock he saw that it was almost 10:30. He had to meet Yusuke and Keiko at their house on the other side of the city for 12:00.

Stretching he walked down his little hallway towards the bathroom. Shutting the door behind him he walked over to the sink. He leaned forward placing most of his weight on his hands and arms as the gripped the side of the sink and looked into the mirror. He studied his reflection. He had done his own growing up and maturing these past five years. His jaw was slightly more defined making his face look slightly less androgynous looking. His hair for the most part was pretty much the same except for the fact that he needed a trim. His eyes were no longer as wide with youthful naiveté. He had grown only and inch more in those five years and his shoulders were only slightly broader.

Sighing, he pushed himself off of the sink counter, and turned towards the shower. He turned on the shower and adjusted the handles to make the water the temperature he was accustomed to. Slowly, he undressed folding his pajamas and putting them on a chair he had sitting by the shower. He grabbed a towel from the small closet and placed that on top of his pajamas.

He held out his hand to test the water. It was still cold. _Right. No power means no water heater. That means I will be bathing without hot water today._

Quickly, as if to make it less painful getting into the cold shower, he hopped in. The freezing water hit him all over giving him goose bumps. He shrunk beneath the cold water spraying out of the over head nozzle. Soaking his hair, he then grabbed some shampoo and lathered his read locks. His fingers moved as they massaged his scalp faster than usual to rid his hair of the pollutants that the city air carried. Again he rinsed and did the same with the conditioner.

After rinsing his hair out thoroughly, he reached for where he kept his face cloth. It wasn't there. He had forgotten to take one out of the closet. Instead of getting out he just decided he would use his hand. Grabbing the bar of soap he rubbed it in-between his hands and then moved to lather up his body. He lathered his neck, to his shoulders, to his chest and arms. He moved and continued downward. Eventually, he reached his sensitive area. He could hear Youko growl somewhere within him. As he cleaned he tried to ignore the remarks Youko was making about intimate things.

Youko wasn't shy about telling him things such as the mechanics and the feelings that went along with sex. Kurama wasn't stupid. He knew how things worked but the actual acts and feelings, he had never experienced. He secretly wanted to know himself what these things were like but wouldn't bring himself to admit it. There had be a time when the urges would come but once he started dating Maya, they went away except for one instance. Most the time the person that he had fantasized about didn't have a face or a physical body that he could determine as male or female. That one time the urge came while he was dating Maya, he had placed her there and the urge went away as soon as it came. He knew that Youko knew his thoughts about the pleasures that he had never experienced. He did have urges every now and again but he would just drown them out with other thoughts that preoccupied him.

Shaking his head he quickly rinsed his body off under the cold water. _Cold water is a good sexual retardant _he thought as he shut the water and reached out from behind the shower curtain for his towel. He stepped out and pulled the towel around his waist. Grabbing his pajamas he opened the door of the bathroom and walked across the hall to where his room was.

Plopping his pajamas down on the bottom left hand corner of his bed he headed over to his closet. He opened it to find a shirt. Standing with his right hand on the door handle he curled his toes subconsciously in the plush carpet as he decided which shirt he wanted to wear. As he wriggled his toes they cracked and it felt good.

Reaching in, he pulled out a dark forest green, long sleeved wool button down shirt. The shirt was old and worn but that's why he loved it. It was like that one pair of jeans that are worn all the time because they are so comfortable with age. The material becomes softer and only adds to the appeal of it. Taking it off the hanger, he examined it for holes. He had this shirt for so long and just couldn't bring himself to get rid of it. Deciding that it was acceptable to wear out to visit Yusuke and Keiko, he hung the hanger back in his closet.

Walking over to his dresser he opened his top drawer. Reaching in he pulled out a clean pair of underwear and socks. Bending down to the second drawer from the bottom he looked for a pair of pants. They were all folded neatly and piled nicely. Rummaging a bit he decided on a nice pair of medium brown slacks.

Walking to his bed he let his towel drop to the floor as he put his underwear on. He then sat down on the bed and put his socks on. Once he put them on they warmed his toes a bit from being in the cold shower earlier. Standing once again he grabbed his pants and slipped them on one leg after the other. Fashioning the button and zipping them up he turned to grab his shirt. He looked to the bed but couldn't find it.

He frowned his brow. _Now where did I put that shirt?_ He looked to the floor to see if he had dropped it. It wasn't there. His emerald eyes moved to the dresser and there it was sitting on top of it. Smiling he walked over to it and slipped it over his arms. Pulling a bit he adjusted the collar before he buttoned it all the way up.

He walked over to the mirror and examined himself. His hair was a mess. Again he walked to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. Taking his brush he ran it though his hair. Thanks to the conditioner there weren't many tangles in it. It didn't take long for him to finish brushing his hair and once again he retreated back to his room.

Walking across the carpet he picked up the damp towel and tossed it in his dirty cloths hamper. He glanced at the clock and it read 11:05. He needed to hurry up if he wanted to catch the 11:20 bus to Yusuke's and Keiko's.

Hurriedly, he grabbed his shoes and slipped them onto his feet. On the nightstand he reached for his wrist watch and wallet. He buckled the watch to his left wrist and as he stood he shoved his wallet into his back pocket. Again he checked himself in the mirror. He decided that he would leave his shirt un-tucked.

Casually he walked out of his room as he cuffed his sleeves up to his elbows. He had forgotten that he had left the radio on while he was in the shower. Walking over to the table he pushed the switch to it's off position. Everything was quiet again. Briefly he looked around his small apartment.

Doing a mental checklist he made sure that everything was turned off…_Now that's silly. Of course everything is turned off._ He laughed at himself. He was without power so it only made sense that nothing would be on.

Grabbing his keys from the hook by the door he exited his apartment. Turning he locked the door behind himself and descended the stairs that led to the small little backyard. Taking these stairs and going right through the backdoor was easier than going through the old bakery that he lived above. Walking to the back gate he undid the latch and closed it behind him.

As he made his way around front he checked the bakery door and his flower shop door to make sure that they were closed and locked all the way. They were. Now all he needed to do was round the corner and wait for the bus.

Putting his keys in his front pocket he walked down the block and rounded the corner towards the bus stop. Out of his peripheral vision, he thought that he had saw a figure standing outside of his shop. He stopped in his tracks and backtracked a bit.

There, in front of the door of his shop stood the girl from two days ago. Kiyoko he believed her name to be. He stood there studying her for a minute. He noticed that the girl was wearing a very large oversized sweatshirt that went to her knees. She was chewing on the sleeve as she read the sign that he had placed to let passers by know that his store wasn't open because of the loss of power.

Her arm dropped to her side as she turned away and walked in the opposite direction. He looked down towards the bus stop and then at his watch.

_Yusuke and Keiko won't be too upset if I'm a bit late._ He then turned to the girl that was getting ready to round the corner at the other end of the block.

He called out her name and she stopped and looked around a bit alarmed. Her blue eyes finally fell on him and she looked puzzled and blushed a bit. He walked towards her and she awkwardly stood there in her large gray sweatshirt.

As he approached he studied her. The sweatshirt was dirty and the neck hung over her boney shoulder and slender neck. There seemed to be a bunch of paint stains on it in different colors and hues.

He smiled at her. "Hello. What brings you here?"

She blushed and looked down towards the ground. "I would like to buy a white balloon…two actually that are filled with air and not helium. I came by yesterday but I don't think you were here."

He noticed her play with the hem of the sleeve even though it covered her hand from view. He hadn't even known she had stopped by yesterday. He had been up in his apartment all day reading. Slowly, he felt the guilt creep up on him. He supposed that he could have used his time more wisely. Instead of reading all day he could have tended to his plants.

Placing his hands in his pockets he bent forward to be somewhat eye level with her. She squirmed a bit at the awkward gesture. Taking a hand out of his pocket he held a finger up to her.

"How about I get you two balloons if you promise to wait for me right here? I would invite you in but my flowers are doing poorly due to the coolers inability too work without power. I don't want to have my customers seeing my flowers in such a poor state." He smiled at her and waited for her response.

Slowly she nodded looking at his face and then to the ground. Pulling out his keys he opened the front door of the shop. He didn't know why he felt like going out of his way for this girl. There was just something about her that made him feel more pleasant when she was here. Perhaps it was because he was still thankful that she opened up the door for him during the typhoon. It was such a simple thing but he really did appreciate it.

Quickly, as to not make her wait very long, he walked behind the counter where he kept the drawer full of balloons. He took two out. He reached under the counter for the tank of air. Slowly he turned the wheel on the top and filled both balloons. He tied each with a small knot to keep the air in.

Turning off the air tank he placed it back beneath the counter. Heading back to the front of the store, he surveyed the damage the loss of power did to his flowers. He had a lot of work to do tomorrow.

Exiting the shop he locked the door behind him. Turning to her she was still standing there as out of place as ever. Holding out one hand he held out both balloons to her. With her small slender white hand she shakily took one of the balloons and just stared at the other one.

"Um…" she started. She held out her other hand palm facing towards the sky. In it she held 25 yen. "I lost the other 25 yen on the way here. I can only buy one."

He stared at the 25 yen and then looked into her blue eyes. She blushed furiously and looked towards the display in his window. Her eyes started to water.

His brain simply stopped working. He didn't know what to do when girls cried. Demon women didn't cry nearly as much as human women did. Reaching out he took the 25 yen from her hand and replaced it with the balloon.

"Not to worry Kiyoko. It's okay to be short 25 yen." He didn't know what else to say. "How about you come back tomorrow and help me clean up a bit. Then after that I'll give you free balloons for a week and some zinnias in return?"

Turning back to him her face lit up. She nodded vigorously. "That would be wonderful!"

It made him smile to see her so happy. The feeling was there again. He was wrong it wasn't exactly happiness that this girl made him feel but it was something else. He looked at his watch. The bus would be there any minute.

"I'm afraid I have to leave for now Kiyoko. I'll meet you here tomorrow if that's okay with you?"

She nodded holding the two balloons close to her. Smiling he turned away from her putting both his hands into his pockets and headed back towards the bus stop.

"Wait!" Kiyoko called grabbing his elbow. It was a bold gesture on her part considering they didn't really know each other. "What may I call you?"

Looking over his shoulder he paused. "Shuichi Minamino."

She smiled and nodded letting go of his elbow. Quickly she trotted away and rounded the corner of the building.

She was such an odd girl. She seemed so small and weak yet her spirit was so strong. As she left he caught the smell of pine come off of the girl. _Pine…_ That's what it was! Pine! Being so knowledgeable about flowers and plants it made sense that she smelt like pine.

Pine represented hope and that was the feeling that she gave him. Every time he saw her, he had a special type of hope. Last time it was that the storm wouldn't be too bad and that she would make it home okay. This time, it was a hope that eventually everything would work out with Maya. He also, hoped things went well for her because of her frail state. The simple presence of her allowed him to look optimistically towards things.

Even his previous thoughts about Maya were easing and he was beginning to feel more at ease. He was able to think now.

He continued on his way towards the bus stop and waited by the sign for the bus to roll up. The wind blew and whipped his hair around. It was a nice day out. The calm after the storm. The sun was almost to its highest point in the sky but it wasn't hot. The weather forecast called for it to be 21o C. In his opinion it was a nice temperature for the beginning of spring.

His mind wandered to what he was going to do about Maya. She wasn't answering him and just outright ignored him. He had a thought of ending it but decided that he would talk to her first and try to do something to help better the situation.

The bus roared forward and its breaks squealed beneath its weight. The double door swung open as the bus driver announced in a raspy deep voice where the bus would be taking him. The driver was and aging woman in her late 50s. She had dry frizzy hair and looked miserable. He attempted to smile.

Getting on the bus he put 200 yen in the meter and walked to take a seat. The bus was filled with people that hadn't bathed in the last couple of days without power. The bus was on route to a local homeless shelter where they were offering free hot showers and meals to people that couldn't bathe or cook for themselves.

Driving down the street about half a mile the bus stopped again letting an elderly couple on board. Being the gentlemen that he was Kurama gave up his seat. The little old woman thanked him and sat down where he had sat just a moment ago. The old man hobbled over to stand next to his wife with his cane. Kurama had wished he had another seat to give the old man.

A voice called from a few seats behind them. A young woman with sandy blonde hair stood up from her seat. "Sir, would you like my seat? I know it's not next to your lovely wife but I don't want to see you hurt if the bus were to stop short."

Kurama couldn't help but stare at the girl. She didn't seem Japanese but there were some indications that she was. For one her Japanese was exquisite but still had a twist of some other language that he couldn't put his finger on, and her eyes not exactly round but not slanted either. They seemed like something in-between. To be honest she was beautiful. Most of her features were western features. Her light colored hair and her blue green eyes. Her height also was above average for that of most women found in Asian countries.

The old man gladly took the seat that she offered and commented that youngsters now-a-days weren't as bad as they seemed. The girl laughed. It was warm and inviting. He continued to watch her.

She stood next to him with a briefcase in hand. She looked down at the floor as the bus swayed as it hit bumps in the road. Why couldn't he take his eyes off of her? Something drew him to her.

She looked up at him to catch him staring at her. She looked him right in the eyes and he blush slightly at being caught. She smiled and held out her hand to shake his.

"I'm Aurora. Aurora Rugiada."

That had answered his question. Rugiada wasn't a Japanese last name. "Shuichi Minamino. I beg your pardon. I didn't mean to stare at you." He grabbed her hand and shook it.

She laughed again and it sent a shiver up his spine. "Don't worry about it. I get stared at a lot." She reached up and pulled the cord to get off at the next stop. "Well, I hope that you have a wonderful day Mr. Minamino. It was a pleasure to meet you."

The bus stopped in front of Sarayashiki Junior High. "It was nice meeting you as well."

She laughed again. "Oh how sweet and proper of you." She winked at him. "Don't go being polite to all the girls. I just might get jealous." She smirked over her shoulder as she made her way to the front of the bus.

He blushed at her boldness towards him. He watched her get off the bus and walk towards the gate of the school. Kurama kept his eyes on her until the bus pulled too far away that she vanished from site.

The next stop was at the homeless shelter where most people got off. Taking a seat in front of the old man he sat down. It wasn't much farther to where he needed to get off but he always thought better while he sat. The old man tapped on his shoulder.

Turning Kurama faced the aging face. He smiled. "You're a fool."

He was taken aback by the remark. Not knowing what to say he opened his mouth and closed it again. He was utterly flabbergasted and shocked.

"Why didn't you follow her?"

More bold words from the old man. _Is it me or has this typhoon given everyone…well…as Yusuke would put it, "Given them balls?"_

"I don't know what you mean sir," he replied simply. It amazed him at how open people were being with him today.

The old man smiled revealing some missing teeth in the bottom row. "You love her."

_This is such a vivid dream_ he thought to himself shaking his head. He tried to stay calm so he took a sharp intake of breath and exhaled. "I'm sorry but I don't even know her. I just met her here on the bus. I don't think that love is the proper word to use in this situation. I do admit she is intriguing however."

The old man ignored his comment. "I was supposed to go out to sea for three months."

Kurama frowned his brow and nodded his head trying to figure out where the old man was going with this.

Looking towards his wife who was facing the front of the bus he said, "And then I saw her. We were pulling away from the docks and we had already set sail. My eye sight was much better then than it is now. But I knew right then when I saw her on that beach. She was beautiful. Still is. I stood strait up on that railing and got ready to jump. The captain yelled for me to get down. He said that he would have my head. I didn't listen and I jumped in and swam as fast as I could back to shore. Within the year we were married and expecting our first child."

It was such a touching story. He did wish that he could just spontaneously do something like that. Problem was he couldn't. It was in his nature to analyze and strategically plan things out before they were executed. He had heard that love changed people. Maybe one day it would change him when he met that someone.

In a way, this old man had reminded him of Yusuke. He was brash and blunt about the things that he said and yet at the same time it was meant to be taken seriously and jokingly at the same time.

Smiling he mused the old man, "So did the captain have your head?"

The old man laughed. "Nope. He couldn't. The wife wouldn't let him. She said that she would never talk to him ever again. That hurt him more than anything. After all she was his daughter."

Kurama laughed. He had admired that the old man had followed his heart. However, right now his heart was struggling. On one hand he did want to know the beautiful blonde haired girl he had just met but what about Maya? He wanted to see why they were struggling the way that they were. If he went to follow Aurora he would feel guilty about it later.

He shook the thoughts away anyway. He didn't even know this girl. If anything she did intrigue him with her foreign looks and the subtle accent. She was much more forward than Maya that's for sure. Maya always acted awkward towards him. She was usually quiet and didn't have much to say. He never pressed for her to talk or start a conversation. He just left it as it was. Maybe that was the problem.

He didn't really go out of his way to keep her interest. In a way, he was a bore. Perhaps if he loved her he would have made more attempts to make her happy. Even though he didn't really love her, he did like the company. Maybe that's all she was to him. A simple companion that he was trying to force into becoming something more. It was time to have a talk with her about their relationship. He hated dragging her around like this.

The bus stopped and the old man got up to leave. He frowned slightly. He didn't want the old man to leave. The things that he was saying helped him think of his relationship and what he should do.

"One more thing. My mother once told me that when someone offers their name to you, it means that they want you to find them again." That was all the old man said before helping his wife out of her seat and they both hobbled out of the bus.

He wrapped his mind around the idea of the girl offering her name to him. If she had wanted him to find her again, wouldn't she give him a phone number or something of the sort?

The rest of the ride he stayed absorbed in his thoughts about his relationship with Maya and possibly finding someone else to start one with. He didn't know if he wanted to start a relationship with Aurora but she did catch his interest. She was something different. He was so used to a routine that it was just a bit refreshing that he had bumped into her. In fact, this whole day was a bit refreshing with its peculiarity.

He hopped off the bus and headed towards the direction of the small house that Yusuke and Keiko had bought after getting married. It was about a 7 or 8 minute walk from where the bus had let him off. He looked at his watch. It read 11:56. He wouldn't be too late.

From the looks of it, this part of Tokyo had its power back. However, for having its power back there were still many branches all over the sidewalks and partially in the streets. Some buildings were still boarded up with large x shaped tape across the windows or wooded planks to protect from debris. It seemed that this area was much harder than his own.

Rounding the corner, he entered where the city met suburbia. On this street there were only small shops that were owned by independent owners. He passed a small grocer that had already started selling after the storm. He kept with his pace but heard a voice call out to him.

"KURAMA!"

He turned around to see Yusuke leaving the small mom and pop grocer that he had just passed. Jogging he caught up to the red head.

"Are you deaf or somethin'?" Yusuke asked patting a hand on Kurama's shoulder.

He hadn't realized that Yusuke had been calling to him. "No. Sorry Yusuke. I suppose that I was just caught up in my own thoughts. May I ask what errands Keiko has you on?" Kurama asked pointing to the bag in Yusuke's hand.

The spirit detective's grin widened. "And here I thought you were slipping, but you knew that I was whipped into coming here by my ball and chain." Holding up the small paper bag he continued. "I had to get some tofu for the miso soup we're all gonna have for lunch. Don't tell Keiko, but I had to fight an old lady for this."

"Yusuke…"

"Don't worry Kurama, I didn't beat her up. I used my superior negotiating skills to convince her to let me have it."

Kurama chuckled a bit. He knew that Yusuke wasn't very good with gentle words. It seemed odd that he would be able to convince an old woman to change her mind on what to get. He noticed Yusuke pulling a paper out of his pocket.

"And what is that Yusuke?"

The raven haired man unfolded the paper. "This…" he said staring at the paper while he read it. "…is where I have to remove branches from the old woman's yard."

Kurama once again chuckled. It was just like Yusuke to resort to some sort of physical labor, rather than commit fully to using his intellect to convince someone.

While looking at the paper, Yusuke shook his head and laughed slightly. "I tell you Kurama, that old woman had some balls on her! Hit me with her purse and everything. Good thing I have my devastatingly good looks. I think that's what convinced her."

_So it was indeed the term that Yusuke would use for everyone's strange behavior today. _They both stared at each other and laughed simultaneously. He had always felt better when he was with Yusuke. His light heartedness was always welcome and he had always made him laugh. In a way, he was so very thankful that he had become friends with Yusuke. He was certainly a great ally, but much more valuable than that, he was his best friend.

Both Yusuke and Kurama started walking towards the direction of Yusuke's house. The walk was filled with chit chat about the storm and whether or not Yusuke had lost power. He had but it was only for a few hours.

As they approached his house, there was a large tree tipped over in the front yard. It was amazing what the wind had done. The roots were exposed with a skirt of earth above them. In a way, it was sad that nature could destroy it's self like it had from the typhoon. Kurama supposed that it was better than humans destroying it.

"We have to go in the back 'cause the tree is blocking the front door. I tell you Keiko freaked seeing the tree fall so close to the house. Good thing it missed though. Otherwise, I wouldn't hear the end of it from Keiko." Yusuke lead Kurama around back.

The gate swung open to reveal the back yard filled with dead tree limbs and leaves. They made their way up the back porch and through glass doors. The house was a western style house. Only one story with two bedrooms and one bathroom. The dinning room was connected to the kitchen which lead to a doorway that separated the living room from the rest of the house.

"Keiko! I've got a rose for you!" Yusuke called to his wife.

The brunette poked her head around the corner from the living room where she was folding some laundry. Her brown eyes were bright with excitement thinking that Yusuke had actually brought her a rose. When she realized that Kurama was standing next to Yusuke, she knew what he had meant by a rose.

Keiko had always thought Kurama was beautiful. It's true that if he were to be any flower it would be a rose. Not because it was his weapon of choice but because he truly would be the most beautiful and powerful of all the flowers…if he were one.

"Hello Kurama. It's nice to see you." She put down the article of clothing in her hand and walked over to him and embraced him in a friendly hug.

"It's nice to see you as well Keiko. Do you need help with anything?" Kurama let go of her as she went to the refrigerator and pulled out some pre chopped vegetables and fresh spices.

"Oh, no thank you Kurama. Why don't you sit down at the table while I start the soup?"

Nodding he complied and sat at the table while Yusuke went off towards the bedroom. He had never really been in Yusuke's and Keiko's bedroom before. He had only seen it once when they first moved in and had given him the grand tour. From what he could remember it was rather small much like his room in his apartment.

He looked around the kitchen. It seemed like the perfect size for the two of them. Keiko had done a good job decorating the kitchen. The walls were painted white and the trim was red. All around there was various apple paraphernalia.

"So Kurama, how's Maya?" Keiko asked as she stirred the pot of soup. She banged the wooden spoon on the side of the pan and placed it on spoon rest.

He thought about lying to her. After all, he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it. Then again, asking Keiko for advice might help him. She was a girl and maybe she could answer as to why Maya was acting the way she was.

"Well," he started. He turned to look out the glass sliding doors for a little and then turned back to her and smiled. It wasn't a real smile. It was forced and a bit sad.

As if Keiko had psychic powers of her own, she could tell what was going on. She frowned. "Kurama I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

He chuckled slightly. "No I'm glad that you have. I actually wanted to ask your advice on the matter. However, I think that it would maybe be better if we were to discuss it after lunch?" He crossed his legs and folded his hands onto his lap.

"Of course."

Yusuke leaned against the corner of the wall where the kitchen met the hallway. "You should dump her."

That was it. Plan and simple. However, for Kurama it really wouldn't be that simple. He had to try to spare her feelings.

"Yusuke!" Keiko cried. "You're so rude."

"Listen Kurama. I know that you're a good guy and want to make it less painful for her, but for once can't you think of yourself? I mean I knew something was wrong. You're not acting like yourself. You seem scatterbrained, and that's Botan's job. To be honest, Maya didn't really fit in anyway…." He looked at the red head and then to his wife and pointed at her with his thumb. "Not to mention Keiko said that you both didn't really make a good couple."

Kurama looked to Keiko and her mouth was hanging open just waiting for a fly to swoop in. "Yusuke how dare you! That's horrible to tell him that!"

Sitting there in silence as the two argued, Kurama thought to himself. It was true that he was at times too nice to people. Maybe Yusuke was right. After all, it had been two weeks since he had seen Maya and about three days since they had last spoke. He carefully thought about the pros and cons of the situations.

"All I'm sayin' Keiko, is that the longer he drags this out the worse it's going to get! It's better to treat it now before it get's worse!"

"Oh Yusuke what do you know? You don't even take your own advice! You're the one who won't take cold medicine until it gets so bad you have to go to the doctor!"

Kurama looked up at the both of them. Sighing he said, "Yusuke's right. It will get worse for the both of us if I keep dragging each other around. I just don't know how to tell her." He looked down towards the ground and then back up at the two of them.

It had been the first time that he had ever really turned to them for help. The only other occurrence was when he had asked Yusuke to help him save his mother. He could read in their faces they really didn't know what to say.

Shrugging his shoulders Yusuke leaned forward and put his hands in his pocket. "This is going to sound like a load of crap but… just be yourself." He scratched his head. "That's all I got."

Kurama smiled. "Thank you Yusuke." He then turned to Keiko. "If it's not too much trouble, I would like to take care of this matter now. I apologize if I have ruined your plans."

Keiko smiled. "Not at all Kurama. In fact the soup is done right now. Let me put some in a container for you to take home."

He didn't object. He could eat it once he got back to his apartment. He watched as she opened a cabinet and struggled to reach the bowl she wanted. Without a word as if knowing that she needed him, Yusuke headed over to help her. While reaching up to get the bowl he squished her slightly against the counter. He kissed the top of her head and handed her the bowl.

It was such a simple gesture but at the same time it was so powerful. That was what his and Maya's relationship was lacking. It was the love and the desire to be with each other. He smiled at the warm feeling the simple little kiss gave him. He hoped that he would have relationship like that.

Filling the bowl with soup Keiko placed it down on the counter. She then took some saltine crackers out of a box and put them in a small bag. Lastly, she put the lid on the bowl and tied a small piece of cloth around the bowl and crackers for him to carry.

She handed it to him and smiled. He gladly took it from her.

"Good luck," Keiko said as she again hugged him, but this time for his departure.

Yusuke walked over and shook his hand. "Don't sweat it. I'm sure that it won't be too bad."

Kurama nodded. He had appreciated Yusuke for his outspokenness. If it weren't for him being who he is, he would have never had come to the conclusion of leaving Maya by himself. It would have taken so much longer.

He turned to leave through the back sliding doors. Before he exited, he turned to Yusuke and with a genuine smile said, "Thank you." It wasn't really a thank you for helping with his situation with Maya, but it was a thank you for being a good friend.

Yusuke grinned. The grin said everything. He knew what Kurama had meant. "Any time."

The both of them watched him leave and he waved when he got to the end of the street. As he walked to the bus stop he didn't really think of anything except for how to break up with Maya.

The bus rolled up 15 minutes later and he boarded. He looked around half expecting to see the blonde headed girl or the old man. Taking a seat by the window he sat silently as the bus headed back to the other side of Tokyo. He stared out the window. It passed by the Junior High and he looked to see as the students got out of class. She wasn't there.

He rose from his seat as the bus slowed to a stop at the place he needed to get off. He stepped off the bus and headed around the corner to the street in which his shop and home had been waiting for him. He went around back and pulled out his keys. While he did so he noticed the orange mock shrub that he had planted when he first got the place. He stared at it for a few seconds before he went inside.

He went up the stairs and unlocked the door to his apartment. He pushed open the door and tried the light switch. The lights came on. It was a good sign because that meant the flowers downstairs would be relieved by the coolers.

He looked at his watch. It was 15:00. He knew Maya was home. He felt it in his gut. Placing the soup on the table he didn't even bother to refrigerate it. He went back out the door of his apartment and locked it behind him.

He went over to the orange mock shrub and tore off a few branches. He brought them around the front and into his flower shop. The bells on the door clanked as they hit the door. He headed strait to the case of carnations and pulled out some yellow ones. They seemed to be in bad shape, so he used a bit of his spirit energy to revive them a little bit.

Bringing them over to the counter Kurama trimmed the leaves and clipped the ends of both the orange mock and yellow carnations. Pulling out some white lace paper and clear wrap he placed it on the open part of the counter. He carefully arranged the flowers and then wrapped them in the paper.

Placing the bouquet aside, he scooped the counter clean of the trimmings. With his hands full he reached to the trash can and dumped the extra leaves and stems into it. Quickly he took his rag and went in the back room to wet it. He came back and wiped the counter down.

Even though he was in a hurry he still had to clean the little bit of mess that he had. In a way, it was a bit of obsessive compulsive but it made him feel a little better that his shop was clean.

He examined the bouquet and ran a hand through his long red hair. It said everything that he had wanted to say. It spoke the words for him even if only he knew their meaning. Though, he supposed that the orange mock was a bit out of place for the meaning that it implied but he still slightly felt that he was dishonest for dragging her around.

Again he looked at his watch. 15:24. He knew that a bus would take him to Maya's at 15:33. So, he decided to head out. Leaving the shop he locked up behind himself.

There wasn't much running through his head on the way to Maya's. He would keep it simple and tell her the way that he felt. _Just be yourself_ he found Yusuke's words bouncing around in his head. Maybe that's why the relationship failed. Because he was himself and not who Maya wanted him to be. He shrugged the thought off. If that was the case then he was right to leave her.

He walked up the walkway to the house that Maya still shared with her parents. He rang the doorbell. About a minute later she answered the door. Standing there her face first portrayed shock and then it fell into a solemn expression. She didn't want to look at him but reluctantly she did.

He looked up at her from the bottom step of the stairs. They stared at each other for a few moments before he extended his arm and offered her the bouquet of orange mock and yellow carnations.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

I hope that this chapter wasn't too unbearable for everyone to get through. Please rate and review! I really enjoy feedback and suggestions. Even if it's criticism I welcome it as long as it's not cruel! I take the time to respond to all the reviews I get so you will be heard!

**Flowers:**

Zinnias (mixed): Thinking about an absent friend.

Pine: Hope, Pity

Orange Mock: Deceit

Yellow Carrnations: You have dissappointed me, rejection


End file.
